So It's Time to Print Your Invitations? "Part 1"

In the wedding industry, there are very distinct seasons "within" the wedding season. There are exceptions to the following breakdown of course, but more often than not, October through January are ALL about Save the Dates:

Late January through April is about PLANNING THE STATIONERY! Invitations, programs, place cards, table numbers, menus, etc. The list goes on and on...

It is enough to overwhelm a bride, who in the end, simply wants a nice, elegant invitation to send out to her guest list.

I want to share some printing and production terms that you should familiarize yourself with, at least during this "season" of your wedding planning:

Cover Weight Stock: Heavy weight paper. Thick. Should not "bow" when held by its edge in your hand. There are varying degrees of thickness, and the cost typically increases as you go up in weight. Cover weight stocks are usually the lifeblood of an invitation. Text weight stocks (see def. next), will be glued or affixed to the cover weight stock:



Text Weight Stock: Thinner weight paper. Will "bow" when held by its edge in your hand. Invitation panels and menus are sometimes printed to a text weight stock and then affixed to cover stock for aesthetics and also to add rigidity.

Process Colors: The printing process utilizes a mix or percentage of four colors to make up your type and images. These colors are referred to as CMYK or Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. This process is fine for colors that do NOT have to be color critical. There is another method in place to acheive color critical ink matches on paper.



Solid Colors: When there is a need for a color to perfectly match a cloth swatch or a dyed shoe, then you want to specify to your printer, a special color. In lieu of using all four colors - CMYK, to make up one color, up to 6 positions on most presses can hold a Pantone or PMS ink. ALL printers should have several PMS books for you to look through.

My next entry will complete this "mini-glossary" of printing terminology, and give tips on what questions to ask and what to look for. You CAN be confident and conversational when it's time to take this step! Take care til' next time!

--ct